Islamic State in Iraq and Syria

August 31, 2016

Abu Muhammad al-Adnani was a high-ranking member of ISIS and he was reportedly killed this week in Aleppo, Syria. The US had a bounty of $5 million on his head.

Conflict

Why the US doesn't want to call ISIS' offshoots parts of ISIS at all

PRI's The World

May 22, 2015

As ISIS grows its reach into new countries, the US and its allies are debating whether those affiliates should be attacked. And that decision has a lot to do with who's considered a part of ISIS at all.

Conflict

'The Islamic State needs doctors and engineers, too'

PRI's The World

May 21, 2015

Men and women from all over the world have joined ISIS, many are zealots with little or no expertise. Now the group is trying to reach out to those with specific set of skills, and it's adjusting its methods to appeal to to the smart and well-educated.

Conflict

As ISIS seeks revenge in Ramadi, a US veteran fears for his Sunni allies there

PRI's The World

May 21, 2015

The news that ISIS has taken Ramadi hits home for veterans like Tom Daly. As a Marine, he helped US forces take the capital of Iraq's Anbar province by building an alliance with Sunni nationalists who are now targets for ISIS fighters.

Conflict

Al-Shabab are masters of terror — and masters of the media

PRI's The World

April 02, 2015

Extremists behind the siege at a university in Kenya boast a "pioneering" media strategy that has paved the way for other media-savvy terrorists like ISIS. But it's still a chilling experience to get a call from al-Shabad amid a terror attack.

Conflict

Meet the most powerful man in the Middle East you've probably never heard of

PRI's The World

March 24, 2015

He confounded American commanders in Iraq and all but saved the regime of Bashar al-Assad. But until recently, few people outside of military circles knew the name of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. He's a public and popular figure in his home country now — and just as powerful as ever.

Conflict

'Tunisians are in shock' after a massacre in Tunis

PRI's The World

March 19, 2015

Two gunmen killed more than 20 people in Tunisia on Wednesday, shocking the country that many people have called the Arab Spring's only meaningful success story. And while most of the dead were tourists, a Tunisian journalist says locals are feeling the deaths strongly.

Global Politics

How ISIS uses the tools of activism for its own violent goals

PRI's The World

March 16, 2015

"Today, ISIS is running probably the most effective propaganda machine out there," says one analyst. But while ISIS may have the tools of activism down pat, it's far different from real activist movement in important ways.

Conflict

Jordan's sanitation workers switch uniform color to avoid ISIS orange

PRI's The World

March 11, 2015

The people of Amman have voted, and the city's sanitation workers will now don turquoise-colored jumpsuits rather than their old bright orange uniforms, which closely resemble the outfits ISIS hostages are forced to wear.

Conflict

The US is sitting out Iraq's big battle in Tikrit — but Iran isn't

PRI's The World

March 04, 2015

A major offensive against ISIS forces is under way in Iraq, and the Iraqi army is getting plenty of support from Iran and its Iraqi Shiite allies. One country that isn't getting involved, however, is the United States.

Belief

Sex toy or ISIS? Ever wonder what this black-and-white flag means?

PRI's The World

September 04, 2014

Updated

06/28/2015 - 3:30pm

It's reminiscent of a black-and-white pirate flag and, for some, it conjures up similar feelings of death, destruction, outlaws and violence. Here is our quick explanation of the symbolism of the flag and the meaning of its Arabic phrases.

Conflict

Is ISIS a threat on the US border? Some border patrol agents believe it is — but others say not so fast

PRI's The World

September 29, 2014

Some US Border Patrol agents believe the threat from ISIS on the US border is very real. But some southwestern politicians call the contention little more than anti-Islamic fear-mongering, saying the evidence doesn't support claims of ISIS infiltration.

Conflict

Turkey's hostage problem is over, but it might stay on the sidelines versus ISIS

PRI's The World

September 22, 2014

Turkey is celebrating the release of 46 hostages by the Islamic State movement. But Turkey still seems unlikely to be able to give its full support to the US alliance against the militants.

Conflict

France endures deadly attacks, but can't decide if they're terrorism

PRI's The World

December 22, 2014

Attacks in the French cities of Tours and Dijon over the weekend left pedestrians and police officers dead, and France wondering if radical groups like ISIS are taking the fight into their cities. But despite the attackers' seeming links to radical Islam, the jury is still out.

Conflict

Meet the female colonel leading Kurdish forces into battle against ISIS

PRI's The World

August 07, 2014

Nahida Ahmed Rashid began her military career years ago, fighting for the Kurdish separatist cause. Now she's the highest-ranking woman in the Kurdish peshmerga and squaring off with her troops against Islamic militants who've taken northern Iraq by storm.

Conflict

If you're a kidnapped American hoping for help from the government, 'that isn’t going to happen'

PRI's The World

August 20, 2014

James Foley's kidnapping and murder is a sad trend in the war in Syria, but it's paying off for terrorist groups. They've collected millions of dollars in ransoms, and journalist David Rohde, who spent seven months in Taliban captivity, says current kidnapping policies aren't keeping journalists safe.

Conflict

Meet the surfing grandfather from Florida who helped the Kurds fight ISIS

PRI's The World

January 26, 2015

One day, Dean Parker was watching the news on TV. The next he was packing up body armor and preparing to fight with Kurdish forces against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria. Now he's looking for a flight home — and knows he has some explaining to do to the FBI and Homeland Security.

Conflict

The 'ultra-violent death cult' at the heart of ISIS

PRI's The World

February 04, 2015

ISIS moves may not make much practical military or political sense, but that violent illogic may be part of the group's appeal to recruits. And despite their errors, they don't appear to be on the verge of defeat any time soon.

Conflict

A veteran from Wisconsin explains why he joined the fight against ISIS

PRI's The World

October 21, 2014

Jordan Matson, from Racine, Wisconsin, was once a soldier in the US Army. Today Matson is a volunteer fighter with a Kurdish militia in northern Syria, fighting against ISIS and hoping to bring more Americans over to join the war.

Media

ISIS has mastered high-end video production in its new propaganda wing

PRI's The World

September 11, 2014

ISIS knows media and messaging, from its black and white flag to its raised index finger gesture to its tweets. Now the group has a new propaganda wing that is producing sophisticated, effects-laden videos in styles from rock videos to action movies. Reporter Bruce Wallace shares some examples and what experts think ISIS is hoping to achieve.